Rams loan Spurs youngster

Derby County have wasted little time since Saturday`s opening league victory of the season against Peterborough to strength their squad, with news today they have signed Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jake Livermore on a month's loan.

The 19-year-old central midfielder will have to wait to make his Rams debut because he is currently serving a suspension after being sent off twice playing for Tottenham Hotspur Reserves last season, and still has three games left off the ban.

This being the case he will be unavailable until the Rams Championship fixture at Blackpool on August 18th.

Rams boss Nigel Clough would like to keep the Enfield-born player until the January transfer window, and it`s also been reported he has spoken to the North London club regarding a defender

'He is very similar to Paul Green and Stephen Pearson,' said Clough.

'He bombs forward, so in the formation we have got at the moment with three midfielders, he is an ideal replacement should either of those two go down injured.

'If he had been on the substitutes' bench against Peterborough United on Saturday, he would have been straight on for Greenie, who had to come off with a foot injury,' added Clough.

Injury restricted Livermore to only 10 appearances for Tottenham's Reserves and Under-18 side last season.

He returned to fitness towards the end of the season and recently signed a deal to keep him at White Hart Lane until 2011.

He scored for Spurs against Barcelona in last month's Wembley Cup pre-season tournament.

Livermore played five matches on loan at MK Dons in 2008 but fractured his fibula injured playing in a friendly while on loan at Crewe Alexandra.